Breast covering garment



P 7, 1949. H. GLUCKIN 2,483,274

BREAST COVERING GARMENT Filed April 29, 1946 INVENTOR flmeey 62 Jam/v ATTORNE Patented Sept. 27, 1949 BREAST COVERING GARMENT Harry Gluckin, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Gluckin Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 29, 1946, Serial N0. 665,758

3 Claims. (CI. 22-67) This invention relates to garments including at least portions covering the breasts of a wearer, such for example, as tops to bathing suits, sun suits and similar garments wherein the garment top comprises a body encircling band portion. More particularly, the invention deals with a supporting frame, preferably detachably supported in connection with garments of the kind defined to support the garment around the breasts of a wearer, and particularly in supporting upper edge portions of the garment above the breasts in abutting engagement with the body of the wearer so as to maintain the garment in proper position at all times. Still more particularly, the invention deals with a garment of the class described wherein the supporting frame is movably supported in upper edge portions of the garment, or in elastically extending large portions of the garment slidably along said frame parts in fitting the garment upon the body of the wearer. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front View of one form of garment which I employ, with parts of the construction broken away.

Fig. 2 is an inside view of the central portion of the garment shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of I Fig. 2.

With garments of the type and kind under consideration, and particularly garments which have not employed shoulder strap supports, it has been difiicult to support and maintain the garments in proper position upon the body of the wearer, and particularly around and above the breasts of the wearer.

While my invention is applicable to bathing suits, play suits and similar types of garments, I have shown in the accompanying drawing, in illustrating one adaptation of my invention, what is generally identified as a bathing suit top comprising an elongated band I ll, the central portion of the band being shirred, as seen at ll, to form a reduced or narrow central portion disposed between two breast pocket or cup portions l2-l2. At l3|3' are side and back extensions of the strip I I! having suitable means for joining the coupling at the back of the wearer.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the coupling portions are illustrated as comprising hooks I4 at the extension |3 adapted to engage a corresponding number of eyes I 4 on the extension i3'.. The sheet l0 comprises an outer or facing sheet and it is preferred that an inner facing sheet H! be employed, note Figs. 2 and 3. The sheet N1 is substantially similar to the sheet I U in general contour and in addition, the sheet It! has upper and lower extensions which are folded inwardly and then secured to the edges of the sheet In to form upper and lower loop or channel portions [5 and IS, the chanel portion i5 being shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing in cross section, and the chanel portion I6 being shown in section in Fig. 4 of the drawing. In both instances, the channels extend substantially the full length of the upper and lower edges of the garment and these channels are normally shirred and held in such position by elastics I! and Hi. It will be apparent that the body portions or sheets I 0I 0' are also sufficiently shirred to compensate for extension of these edges.

The channels [5 and I6 have cross stitchings, as at l9|9' checking movement of inturned looped ends 20-20 on curved portions 2l-2l of a reinforcing or supporting frame or element 22. Inner adjacent and downwardly extending ends 23-23 of the frame 22 terminate at their lower ends in loops 2424', which are adapted to extend into the channels l5 and I6 through openings 25-25, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

The frame 22 has a central bridging member in the form of an upwardly extending spring loop 26 which joins the loops 24-24' in shoulder portions 21-21, as clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. It is also preferred that when the frame is composed-of wire, that the entire central portion of the frame be covered with a plastic or other tube, as indicated generally at 28, in Fig.2 of the drawing, this tube extending from the curved portions 2 I-2 l continuously over the loops 2424', the loop 26, and the shoulder portions 21-21'.

The upper edge portion of the garment in which the channel I 5 is formed, has on its inner surface, elongated openings 2929 disposed substantially at adjacent ends of the curved portions of the top of the garment, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. It will thus be apparent that in the use of the garment, the end portions l3-! 3' may be extended around the body of the wearer, in which operation, both upper and lower edges of the garment will be longitudinally exing portions of the garment, which in: many in stances simply comprise a sheet or two sheets of material, will be movable one with respect to the,

other and adapt themselves to fit the breasts of the wearer as the garment is extended. It will be understood that in some instances; brassieres or similar supports may be employed in support-, ing the breasts, but the garment in question com prises an outer garment, suchas a sun suit, bathing suit or other top, or may comprise the top portion of garments of the kind under consideration- By reason of the supporting frame employed. it will be apparent that the use of shoulder straps or shoulder supporting means of any type or kind can be dispensed with, and this is particularly desirable in such garments as bathing suits and sun suits to dispense with the marking of shoulders, neck and back of the wearer by the strap or straps employed, particularly in developing a suntan. As a matter of fact, a supporting frame of the type and kindunder consideration will support the garment in better fitting position about the breasts of the wearer than would conventiona-l garments employing shoulder straps or similar shoulder mountings. This is particularly so in the support of the garment at that portion of the body intermediate upper edge portions of the breasts. It will be understood that the frame 22' maintains the garment snugly upon the body of the wearer and sufficiently to counteract the light tensioning of the upper and lower edges which elasticity aids in retaining the garment circumferentially about the body of the wearer.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A garment of the class described comprising breast covering parts having upper curved edge portions, means forming channels longitudinally of said curved edge portions, a frame having laterally diverging curved side members integrally joined entrally of the front garment, said curved members of the frame being adapted to be arranged in the channels of said edge portions, said. edge portion having openings adjacentthe front central portion of the garment facilitating insertion and removal of the curved members with respect to said channels; means whereby the upper channelled edge portions of the garment are free to move longitudinally of said curved members within predetermined limits, means detachably supporting the central portion of said frame with the garment at a point below and in wide spaced relation to the upper channelled edge portion thereof, said last named means comprising looped portions on the frame fitting pocket openings in said garment, the pocket openings of said garment being disposed at the lower edge portion thereof, and means providing yieldable extension of the lower edge portion of said garment.

2. A garment of the class described comprising breast covering portions, a supporting frame, said frame comprising a central portion having diverging curved members, means movably and detachably supporting the upper edge of the breast portion upon said curved members, the central portion of the frame having extending coupling parts adapted 'fordetachable moruiting with the central portion of the garment in wide spaced relation to the upper edge of the breast portions in detachably coupling the frame with the garment, and the central portion of the frame includin part of the curved members thereof being exposed on one surface of the garment between said coupling parts and the upper edge of the breast covering portions.

3. A bathing suit top comprising a body encircling band member, said band member having extensible upper and lower edge portions throughout the length thereof, means detachably supporting the band member about the body of the wearer, the upper edge portion having two curved parts adapted to partially encircle the breasts of a wearer, a supporting frame, said frame having laterally extending curved members joined in a central bridging member, said curved members engaging said curved edge portions of the garment to support the same upon the body of the wearer, said curved edge portions being movable longitudinally of the curved mem bers infitting the garment upon the body of the wearer, and means on the garment and said frame and including the curved members of the frame for detachably supporting the frame in connection with the garment.

HARRY GLUCKZN.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,513,520 Pruzan -1 Oct. 28, 192% 2,013,554 Benedetto Sept. 3, 1935 2,045,401 Mowry June 23, 1936 2,239,056 Schiller Apr. 22, 1941 2,388,535 Gluckin Nov. 6, 1945 2,414,590 Folb Jan. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 548,177 France Oct. 13, 1922 273,623 Great Britain July 7, 1947 

